Torture Techniques: A Parenting Parallel

July 3, 2008, 11:09 pm » Mama Manifesto

I watched a recent documentary on psychological torture techniques in political prisons. I won't go into my feelings on that, but I will share a curious recognition of many of the things these prisoners were subjected to. Any of these sound familiar?

sleep deprivation - not allowing the subject to sleep
noise flooding - subjecting prisoners to loud, unrelenting high-pitched noises, particularly while sleeping
repeated questioning -asking the subject the same questions, over and over again
music torture - a form of torture that involves playing annoying music incessantly
hygiene - subject is prevented from showering on a regular basis
isolation - removing subject from contact with peers
humiliation - placing subjects in close contact with urine and fecal matter
systematic reduction of choice - forcing subjects to complete the same arbitrary tasks over and over again

I will let you draw your own parallels here. Seems my mind is not working like it should . . .

Kristen

Comments

Fri, 07/04/2008 - 19:30 — Jeannine Seery

I have been drawing this conclusion myself for years, but just about everyone I've ever told has looked at me like I'm insane!! I love being a mom, but the similarities between parenting and incarceration are undeniable!

Sun, 07/06/2008 - 04:14 — Phil Towne

This is the funniest dang thing I have read in a while. I just read this to my wife Sarah, and she was laughing hysterically. We have four, and the oldest is 5 1/2, so you can only imagine how true this list is. We have just recently had our fourth, and last, child, and are dealing with the sleep deprivation brought about by this time. Your blog is so true. Thanks for bringing some humor to this, and some knowledge that others can relate as well.

Blessings,

Phil